Tractates on the Gospel of John (continued)
110 ST. AUGUSTINE not know, or that he might more fully know him whom he already knew? For if he did not know him in any regard, he would not say to him as he came to the river to be baptized, 'T ought to be baptized by you. Do you come to me?"^ Therefore he did know.
(2) But when did the dove descend? When the Lord had already been baptized and was ascending from the water. But if he who sent him said, "He upon whom you will see the Spirit descending as a dove, and remaining upon him, he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit," and he did not know him but recognized him when the dove descended, [and] the dove moreover descended then when the Lord ascended from the water, [yet], however, John had then recognized the Lord when the Lord came to him at the water, [then] it is clear to us that John knew the Lord in a certain way and did not yet know him in a certain way.
(3) But unless we have understood this, he was a liar. How was he truthful, in his recognition who says, ' Do you come to me" to be baptized, and "I ought to be baptized by you"? Is he truthful when he says this? And again how is he truthful when he says, 'T knew him not. But he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He upon whom you will see the Spirit descending as a dove, and remaining upon him, he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'"? The Lord became known through the dove, not to one who did not know him, but to one who knew something regarding him, but also did not know something. It is our task, therefore, to ask what John did not yet know regarding him and learned through the dove.
3. Why was John sent baptizing? I remember that I have already told you, as far as I was able, my beloved people.*^ For if the baptism of John was necessary for our salvation, it should have been performed even now. For it is not that men are not saved now, or that more men are not saved now, or that there
6. The CCL text reads qiiam, apparently erroneously, for quem, the reading of Migne and other editors; there is no indication of variant readings. If quam is accepted, the text should be translated, "that he might know more fully than he already knew."
7. Cf. Mt 3.14. 8. See Tractate 4.12-14.